In some cities and states in Brazil, heavy metal is celebrated on June 8. It’s the anniversary of the death of Brazilian heavy metal singer and composer Andre Matos. He was part of three successful bands: Viper, Angra, and Shaman. If you grew up in Brazil in the ’90s and 2000s and loved rock—more specifically, heavy metal—you probably know them. I was more familiar with Shaman because of the song “Fairy Tale.” I still remember the first time I heard it; it’s so beautiful! I could even imagine the scenery while listening to it: it starts with a gentle rain that turns into a storm, the sky opens up during the guitar solo, and it ends with a starry night. My imagination is very vivid—haha. One day, I woke up with “Fairy Tale” in my head, so I googled Andre Matos to see how he was doing—and I found out that he had died a few years earlier. I was shocked. The person who had written a song that was the soundtrack of my teenage years had passed away. Then I read his biography and bought every CD I could find. After reading the biography, I learned a lot about him and the music industry—and how wrong my previous ideas were. First, I discovered how intelligent and sensitive Andre was, so beloved by his family and friends. He held a bachelor's degree in Orchestral Conducting and Musical Composition, and to my surprise, he was fluent in six languages! Secondly, I learned that public recognition doesn’t always come with financial success. Sometimes, artists actually spend money instead of earning it while touring. They really do it for love. I feel very sorry that someone so talented and brilliant passed away so soon. The only thing I can do is remember him, share who he was, and express how much I admire him. Obrigada pelas músicas, você marcou a minha vida!